So here it is...My working Jaw System!

J

jimfoltice

New Member
Hi Peeps,
Like I said in my last (and first lol) post me and a buddy have developed a system to make the mandibles open and close for a film we are doing. It seems that a lot of people on this site are interested in how to do this and to not share what we created would be kind of "a dick move" so I would like to share it with all of you and hopefully it helps you guys out with letting your predators scream out like they were meant to do

Now, I'm not saying we have created the "end all be all" system but it definitely works for us and it actually works really well. You are all welcome to take this design and modify it to better fit your needs. Basically what I'm saying is, it's now all of yours. I must give credit to the talented Bryce Porter for his role in the design.

So with all that said here it is:
The pieces were sketched out larger than they really are so you guys could see everything better.
Basically the two "rods" are inserted into the mandibles. We used a Dremal tool to very carefully make a hole into the mandibles to insert the rods. The basic idea here is to convert vertical force into horizontal force, since the mandibles open horizontally unlike the vertical motion of our mouths.
We made the rods out of a very durable aluminum. The aluminum was strong enough to not bend or buckle when opening the mandibles but mailable enough to bend with a vice grip and pliers to shape them to fit the shape of the mandibles design. The actual unit looks different than the sketch because we bent the rods to fit the shape of our mask, but the basic idea and physics are there. We are still tweaking and bettering the design and once we get it where we want it I will share a video showing it in action.

So there you go, enjoy! I'm happy to answer any questions you guys might have

406.JPG
 
TA DAH!!!!! that is the best looking rig ever. i can't believe it only cost $1.36 to make.

hee hee.


EDIT: now that the pic is up....


interesting system. it allows for only one movement direction, but seems like it should move easily enough. seems like it would need to be rigged to a a system that wraps around the back of the head as well.

cheers can't wait to see it in action.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh yeah i forgot to mention, it cost about $25 to build. I'd love to hear your thoughts guys. And to answer the question, yes there is a strap going around the top of your head to counter act the force of your jaw as well as added stability.
 
i like, seems simple enough... not to say it was easy by any means... I sure as hell wasn't coming up with anything like that.
 
For sure dude. Super simple but it actually works really well and it I'd sturdy too. No wires or string to break. Once I have it all done and working exactly like we want it I'll post some pics and video. So the brow furrow is a really simple mod to. You basically connect two more (smaller) rods or that curve up connected to the other two rods and you just reverse the concept and convert the horizontal force back to vertical and it pulls the brows down.
 
have you tried this in a mask yet? only reason I ask is that the design set up is mechanically symmetrical, while the mask is more organic and rounded ..The next problem is going to be the slip latex. It seems that with the side areas of the mechanism, the latex would need to be poured thick to prevent tearing, problem is ..the thicker your pour the latex, the more likely it will look like a rubber mask when it moves ..complete with all the latex folding and bending. Also ...while the mandibles will be easier to move because they are built out and away from the face, the brows arent ..unless they have some sort of "over-hang" from the face, Im afraid that movement will be difficult at best. NOW ..if you decided to cast out of something other then latex..you make have some possibilities. Foam latex is one way, but I would say that you would want to modify your structure a bit to make it work ( just some padding and some smoothed fiberglass) ..of course casting foam will need a specialized oven and a little know-how. The next solution would be to pul them from silicone ..this may be your best viable option to make the movement as realistic as possible ..the masks can take a brush up silicone casting, and silicone paint is relatively easy to make. I'm still seeing some problems in the design though ..it needs more of an understructure that resembles the predator face. Most latex predator masks hold their shape because they are foamed inside ..however to make yours move correctly you would want little to no foam at all..and also have a thinner then usual latex pull. I hope this makes sense ..dont feel that Im criticizing anything you are doing..Ive just spent some time around animitronics and would love to see this work for you
 
i agree with george, its will need some work, looks great but i was thinking silicone too when i think moving mouth predator and fitting.
keep us updated
 
Thanks for the time to critique. I really appreciate it!! Like I said in an earlier reply. The actuall rig looks mad different than the sketch. It does look way more organic and like the predator because we bent the rods to fit the shape of the mask. The sketch is just to show the mechanics and physics of it. And like I said it is definitly still a work in progress but to answer your question, yes we tried it on a mask and yes it works, very well
 
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